It has been nearly 34 years since I attended this show. I was 21 at the time. This was my first King Crimson concert having just recently been turned onto them by a friend. I knew of their song "In the Court of the Crimson King" from local radio. I also was peripherally aware of the single "Three of a Perfect Pair" from a rarely rotated music video on MTV. After listening to the Beat and then Three of a Perfect Pair albums I was hooked on this incarnation of the band. When they toured and were coming through Philly it was a "must attend" event for me. I didn't know that Modern English was opening for them until we were driving the show and heard it announced on WMMR (local FM rock station). At the time, I had a general disdain for the early 80s new wave bands — Modern English, Flock of Seagulls, Thomson Twins, et. al. In the venue there were two distinct crowds — kids into new wave coming out to see Modern English and prog rock fans coming to see KC. During the Modern English set, the new wave kids were bopping along and the KC fans were respectfully amused by the new wave kids. During the set change, the amphitheatre filled up with late arrived KC fans. King Crimson came on stage and started off with Larks Tongues in Aspic pt III. By the end of KC's third song, all of the remaining kids who came to see Modern English were just standing there, jaws hanging open, wondering what the fuck they were seeing and hearing. :-D After one of their songs — I couldn't remember which, but the description says it was Industry, though I thought it was earlier in the show —Belew comes back to the mic and almost sneering says, "So... you like the weird stuff do you?" I immediately caught it as a shout out to the Modern English fans that were still in the crowd! And all of the other King Crimson fans that caught on to what Adrian meant went crazy laughing and cheering! Oh, and the music, as usual, did not disappoint!

I was in attendance at six 1984 shows: The two NYC Pier shows [6/26 & 27], this Philadelphia show [6/29], the Columbia MD show [6/30], the PHENOMENAL Hartford show [Independence Day 7/4, but actually started just past midnight on 7/5], and the final U.S. gig in Boston [evening 7/5]. At all these shows a new re-arrangement of player responsibilities was in evidence on these two pieces, which has never been officially noted on DGM CD booklets [Absent Lovers], downloads of 1984 shows, or elsewhere: Sheltering Sky: Both on the original album (Discipline) and on the 1981-1982 shows, the piece opens and closes with RF solos, and Belew has a long painterly epiphany [solo] in the middle. IN 1984, what might be thought/mistaken for Belew in the middle section by the listener WAS ACTUALLY Tony Levin doing similar solo work on the guitar portion of his Chapman stick, whilst also playing his bass accompaniment for the piece! (Belew playing instead what Tony would normally be playing on the upper register of his stick in the background) (It should be noted that Sheltering Sky was not played at the indoor shows I saw [7/4 and 7/5], only at the outdoor ones, appropriately where actual sky was visible. Coincidence or intent?) Sartori In Tangier: Again, on the original album (Beat) and in shows from 1982, the piece opens and closes with RF, whilst AB handles the foreground guitar work in the middle section. IN 1984, Belew is NOT even playing guitar on this piece, instead playing alongside BB on a second, smaller drum kit. RF handles the guitar work throughout, approximating what would have been played by Belew in the middle!

I was in attendance at six 1984 shows: The two NYC Pier shows [6/26 & 27], this Philadelphia show [6/29], the Columbia MD show [6/30], the PHENOMENAL Hartford show [Independence Day 6/4, but actually started just past midnight on 6/5], and the final U.S. gig in Boston [evening 6/5]. At all these shows a new re-arrangement of player responsibilities was in evidence on these two pieces, which has never been officially noted on DGM CD booklets [Absent Lovers], downloads of 1984 shows, or elsewhere: Sheltering Sky: Both on the original album (Discipline) and on the 1981-1982 shows, the piece opens and closes with RF solos, and Belew has a long painterly epiphany [solo] in the middle. IN 1984, what might be thought/mistaken for Belew in the middle section by the listener WAS ACTUALLY Tony Levin doing similar solo work on the guitar portion of his Chapman stick, whilst also playing his bass accompaniment for the piece! (Belew playing instead what Tony would normally be playing on the upper register of his stick in the background) Sartori In Tangier: Again, on the original album (Beat) and in shows from 1982, the piece opens and closes with RF, whilst AB handles the foreground guitar work in the middle section. IN 1984, Belew is NOT even playing guitar on this piece, instead playing alongside BB on a second, smaller drum kit. RF handles the guitar work throughout, approximating what would have been played by Belew in the middle!

"Modern English" opened that night -- a strange double bill if ever there was one, but then, who can you comfortably put next to the Crims? I was still in high school at the time, and while I had just bought "Three of A Perfect Pair" (my third CD purchase ever), I had not yet fully digested the catalogue of the 80’s lineup. I had, however, already committed "In The Court Of.." to memory, and went to this show expecting some of it to be in the setlist. Little did I know what I was in for.   I bumped into a few members of the (not-yet-semi-famous) local Philly band The Hooters at the show, which upped their cred immeasurably for me. And speaking of MTV fodder,  I believe MTV had either just aired -- or was soon to air -- an edited version of the King Crimson Tokyo concert from this tour. If you can’t imagine KC on MTV for a full hour, I can promise you: It really did happen. They even kept "Dig Me" and "Indiscipline" in the broadcast. For years, the only souvenirs of the ’84 tour I had were the t-shirt and a Betamax(!) of that broadcast. 29 years later, the shirt doesn’t fit, I have the full Tokyo show on DVD, and now this... It’s good to hear this particular show -- in whatever form -- "official bootleg" or no.